Sifiso Hlanti insists Kaizer Chiefs will not leave any stone unturned in the Carling Knockout as they want to win the trophy to appease their supporters.
Once known as the “Cup Kings of South African football,” Chiefs have failed to live up to that tag in the last eight years, as they haven’t won a trophy during the time. It’s been a turbulent period for the club as they’ve signed and released players and coaches without luck, having recently turned to Molefi Ntseki for a revival.
Ntseki’s tenure hasn’t got off to an ideal start though. He has already lost four matches in the Premiership, while they also missed out on the MTN8. Some of those losses saw fans unleash their wrath on Ntseki as they pelted him with objects, an incident that resulted in three fines by the PSL.
Nonetheless, Amakhosi are working around the clock to regain their fans’ support and confidence.
They recently released their own brand of chips and yesterday Sifiso Makhubela was the lucky supporter who won a brand-new car, courtesy of the club’s sponsors. Hlanti & Co will know that it’s not chips or car competitions that will feed the cravings of their supporters, hence they want to go all out in the Carling Knockout.
“This is another opportunity for us to win a Cup. We know very well that it’s not going to be an easy one because other teams want it as well,” Hlanti said.
“We are going to have to dig deep. We are fully positive. Yes, the supporters are not happy ... We can’t run away from that.
“I think we need to stand up and rise to the occasion. Whatever we do on the field of play, it will come out as the final product at the end of the day. We want to win.”
It’s good that Hlanti knows that Chiefs are a big brand, but they must treat it as such by ensuring that they wear their hearts on their sleeves week in and week out.
Chiefs will host AmaZulu in the last 16 at FNB Stadium on Saturday, with Ntseki’s team tipped to win. They’ve already beaten AmaZulu 3-0 at the same venue in the league this season.
“The preparations are going well. The boys are showing hunger, desire and commitment. Tactically and mentally, they are well prepared,” Hlanti said.
“At this point, we are not looking back. We want to see ourselves achieving and progressing. The boys are looking good, and so is the atmosphere. So, all is good.”
Hlanti is one of the players who are making sure that the atmosphere is good as he supports Edmilson Dove who has been playing ahead of him after suffering an injury.
“I didn’t start badly because this is a team sport. I started and contributed well – but I can still do better,” said Hlanti before opening about losing his spot to Dove.
“We played against Sundowns, I got a knock, and the nerves were gone. At the same time, we share the load, and we are all here to work. We need to support whoever is playing.”